Full Course Appoints Edna Morris to Board of Directors

Atlanta-Based Food Brand Incubator and Accelerator Appoints Longtime Champion of Human Capital and Business Leader to Join Restaurant Industry Leaders
 
Full Course, the industry’s only incubator and accelerator for early-stage food brands, has appointed Edna Morris to join its board of directors.

Morris is a restaurant industry veteran with experience across numerous brands. She has served as President of Red Lobster, Blue Coral, Wild Wing Cafe, The James Beard Foundation, and CEO/Partner of Range Restaurant Group.

“Edna has always been a believer in and an advocate for the idea that organizations prosper and succeed best when there is a diversity of engaged people at all levels,” says Lauren Fernandez, Founder and CEO of Full Course. “Her experience on the front lines of restaurant ownership, executive leadership expertise, and extensive professional network will take Full Course to new heights.”

Full Course is not the only board that benefits from Morris’s expertise. She chairs the Board of Tractor Supply Company and is a past member of public and private Boards, including Cosi, Einstein Noah, PF Chang’s, Wild Wing Cafe, and Backyard Burger. In each of these roles, she has brought, or brings, her unique ability to blend and balance markets, financial needs, and organizational culture into sustainable business success. Morris is an advisor to three early-stage companies: Byte Kitchen, Luther Dryers Lemonade, and Topsail Steamers. Additionally, she served on the Board of Trustees for the Culinary Institute of America.

“I thrive on being part of organizations committed to excellence, empowerment, and inclusion,” says Morris. “I love being able to use everything that I’ve had the opportunity to experience, learn, and do over the last 40+ years and bring that to bear in new situations.”

Morris has been dedicated to helping women and people of color advance in the restaurant business for decades. She is the founding president of the Women’s Foodservice Forum, a 35-year-old organization committed to optimizing the use of women’s talents at the highest levels of an organization. “The 11 founders loved this industry, and we wanted a fair shot, but it was not happening. I’ve known for years that we have a strong pipeline. The C-suite should be more welcoming to women and people of color,” says Morris. “Much research shows higher levels of financial success for companies with diverse leadership teams.”

“Someone once asked if I bet on the horse or the jockey, i.e., the leader or the concept,” says Morris. “I’m betting on both: Lauren as the leader and Full Course as the concept she is creating. It is substantial and provides brands and their founders with roots and wings. I’m excited to share this opportunity with others, particularly the exceptional female executives I have known. I believe in what Full Course is doing and the sustained impact it will make.”

Morris says, “I am honored to join a board comprised of fellow industry leaders and advocates, including John C. Metz, Jr. of Sterling Hospitality, Meredith Sandland of Empower Delivery, and Stephanie Stuckey of Stuckey’s Corporation.” She will serve a two-year term and support the growth and expansion of Full Course and its investments.

About Full Course
Full Course is the industry’s first and only incubator and accelerator of early-stage food brands. The company partners with restaurants in the early stages of development and helps them tell their stories by optimizing operations, developing strategies for sustainable growth, and connecting owners or chefs with the right investors or franchise partners. Full Course Founder and CEO Lauren Fernandez has spent almost 20 years in the food and beverage industry, first as general counsel and head of franchise administration for a large company with more than 4,000 restaurants in over 15 countries and then as an operator of a successful restaurant group. Fernandez was recently named to the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 50 Most Influential Latinos list, the Association of Latino Professionals for America Latinas to Watch list, and the Nation’s Restaurant News Power List. Full Course has been awarded the Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certification and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification. By providing support and expertise to burgeoning restaurant brands on the front end, Full Course is setting up a strong foundation for growth for them and their potential investors, from which they can successfully realize their dreams. Learn more at fullcourse.com.